Mileage exchange-book.



N0 791,868. 'PATENTED JUNE 6, 1905.

' 0-. B. BLYTHE. a

MILEAGE EXCHANGE BOOK. APPLIGATION FILED APIL'Z'I. 1905.

WITNESSES I BY ATTORN E.Y

UNITED STATES Patented June 6, 1905.-

PATENT OFFIcE,

OLARANOE B. BLY'IHE, or MINERAL CITY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO H. LLOYD LASH 'AND JAMES A. RICE, OF CANTON,

OHIO.

MILEAGE EXCHANGE-BOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLettersPatent No. 791,868, dated June 6,1905.

I I Application filed. April 27, 1905. Serial No. 257,589.

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARANCE B. BLYTHE, of Mineral City,- county of Tuscarawas, and State ofOhio, have invented a certain new and. useful Improvement in Mileage Exchange- Books, of which the following is a specification. I

The invention relates to a railroad mileagebook containing a folded strip having a certain number of miles designated thereonas, for instance, from one to one thousand-and especially to that system of books and tickets used by the Central Passenger Association, in

' Which the proper number of miles are detached from the book by the agent and exchanged fora ticket covering the points of,

travel. For the purpose of proper accountmg each book issued by the respective railroads or systems comprising the association' is marked by a serial number and usually by initials indicating the issuing road or system,

and, furthermore, for the same purpose the blank for the ticket to be issued is usually composed of several sections detachably joined together-as, for instance, an agents stub, an auditors stub, the ticket proper, and a commissioners checkand in issuing the ticket the agent is required to record in each section the serial number and alsothe indicating-initials, when the same are used, of the book from which the mileage is detached on which the ticket is issued. The time consumed by the agent in making these entries causes a very serious delay, especially as many such tickets are usually called for shortly before the departure of a train and at a time when many travelers are awaiting attention,and frequently a passenger must depart without his ticket or else the train must be held until the ticket can be properly issued. This difliculty is almost entirely obviated by the use of a rubber stamp attached to the book containing the serial number and initials of the mileagebook, whereby the several sections of the ticket can be quickly marked without any liability of error. A'convenient'way of applying such a stamp and of shielding the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a mileage exchange-book with the stamp attached there to, showing the shield removed therefrom; Fig. 2, a fragmentary cross-section of the end of the book through the stamp, showing the shield applied thereto; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the ticket-sections partly folded on the lines of detachment; and Fig. 4, a detached of rubber or other suitable material, with the same designating characters thereon is attached, preferably, on the folded or back edge of the book, and a convenient Way of attaching the same is by mounting the stamp on the base-plate 5, having the clips 6 bent over the edges and into the sides of the book, although it is evident that this particular manner of attaching the stamp is not essential. The stamp is preferably located at or near one side of the book for convenience in properly positioning an impression on the ticket; but it is also evident that this particular place of attachment is not essential for the proper and convenient use ofthe device. I

The exchange-tickets are usually printed with all the information, including the startingstation and destination for important points thereon, so that when the agent is called. upon to issue a ticket on mileage detached from the improved book he can quickly record the serial number on the ticket by inking the stamp on the pad usually at hand and then impressing'it on the various sections of the ticket-blank, as at 7. In this manner the serial number, together with the initials, can easily be imprinted on the four several sections of the ordinary blank in less time than is required for writing the same in one section of the blank. This is more readily appreciated when it is remembered that the serial number frequently contains six figures and the initials tWo or more letters, so that some eight or more characters are frequently required-to be enter-ed in each section ofthe ticket.

After the stamp has been used it may be is applied by entering it endvvi'se over the edge of a book to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1-' and insec'tion in Fig. 2, and the spring action caused by expanding theshieldacts to hold it in place, and as the edgesfitinside of the stamp-clips the shield is held from being easily removed directly outward; When-a detachable shield is used, the owner ofthe book can remove it before handing the book to the agent and then'replace it when the book is returned; The shield 8'may also be hinged on the stamp- 'plate, as shownin Fig. 4, in which case it is turned back for use, as shown by broken lines in the same figure.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a mileage exchangebook having a serial designation, a stamp thereon adaptedto imprint the same designation, and a shield adapted to be applied over the stamp.

2. The combination of a mileage exchangebook having aserial designation and a stamp thereon adapted to imprint the same designation.

3. The combination of a mileage exchangebook having a serial designation and a stamp on the back edge thereof adapted to imprint the same designation.- I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence'of two $11 bscribing Witnesses.-

CLARANCE B. BLYTHEQ Witnesses:

Josnrn FREASE, HARRY FREA'SE.- 

